The present invention relates to packaging materials and, more particularly, to packaging cushions. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to inflatable packaging cushions which may be stacked in layers to protect articles packaged between the layers.
Protective packaging materials are commonly used to cushion a wide variety of products during shipping. One product which presents particular difficulties is the shipping of meat packaged for retail sale. These meat packages are often prepared at a processing facility and shipped to multiple retail outlets for sale. In a typical arrangement, portions of meat are packaged in a molded polystyrene tray having a flange projecting laterally from the top edge of the tray. One or more plastic films are heat-sealed to the flange to seal the meat within a protective atmosphere. A quantity of individual packages are then assembled in an outer box for shipping.
During the shipping of these meat packages, it is critical that the packages do not become damaged in any way. Damage to the tray, film or the tray/film seal may result in contamination of the packaged product and, for health reasons, require the package and its contents to be discarded. Furthermore, damage to the tray, film or tray/film seal may cause a loss of the protective atmosphere, resulting in rapid spoilage of the product.
One arrangement for protecting these packages during shipping utilizes corrugated cardboard dividers to separate multiple layers from one another, as well as to separate individual packages within each layer. In such arrangement, interlocking corrugated cardboard dividers extending in the length and width directions of an outer box divide each layer of the box into cells, each of which receives one package of meat. A sheet of corrugated cardboard is placed over the first layer, and a second layer of dividers is inserted into the box for receiving another layer of packaged meat. Each layer of dividers is sized to be higher than the meat packages so that an air space is created above the packages in each layer. The corrugated cardboard dividers have good strength in the vertical direction of the box, and therefore satisfactorily protect the meat packages from vertical forces, such as compressive forces caused by stacking the boxes or impact forces resulting from dropping the boxes vertically onto their bottoms. However, these dividers do not adequately protect against forces having components in the horizontal direction. Thus, forces resulting from dropping a box on a side, end or corner, or from sliding a box into a fixed object, cause the trays to slide, whereupon their flanges may contact the dividers or the side of the box, frequently resulting in damage to the package.
There therefore exists a need for improved packaging materials which will enable prepackaged meats and other products to be shipped in quantity without damage. Preferably, such packaging materials will be inexpensive, easy to use and stored in a minimum of space prior to use.
The present invention addresses these needs.
One aspect of the present invention provides a packaging cushion for holding at least one tray having a bottom, outwardly-sloping sidewalls and a top edge. The packaging cushion may include one or more ring elements extending generally in a horizontal plane, the ring elements defining one or more openings. The ring elements have top and bottom surfaces and interior side surfaces facing toward the one or more openings. The interior side surfaces of the ring elements are adapted to engage the sidewalls of the tray to support the tray in a suspended position. Preferably, the interior side surfaces of the ring elements have a substantially cylindrical contour.
The cross-sectional size of all of the ring elements may be about the same. Alternatively, a first group of the ring elements may have a cross-sectional size which is substantially less than the cross-sectional size of a second group of the ring elements. The ring elements in the first group preferably are disposed between adjacent ones of the openings.
The ring elements may define one or more rows of openings, the openings in each row being separated by a first group of the ring elements. Where the ring elements define two or more rows of openings, the openings in one row may be separated from the openings in another row by a second group of ring elements. The second group of ring elements may have a cross-sectional size which is greater than the cross-sectional size of the ring elements in the first group.
In preferred embodiments, the ring elements may be formed from a resilient material. In this regard, the ring elements may include a hollow chamber at least partially filled with a filler material, preferably air. The packaging cushion in accordance with these preferred embodiments may further include a valve member defining an opening for supplying the filler medium to an interior of the chamber.
In highly preferred embodiments, the packaging cushion may further include a plurality of upper nodes projecting upwardly from the ring elements at spaced-apart locations, the upper nodes having top surfaces disposed higher than the top surfaces of the ring elements. In accordance with these embodiments, the interior side surfaces of the ring elements may be adapted to engage the sidewalls of the tray so that the top edge of the tray lies higher than the top surfaces of the ring elements and lower than the top surfaces of the upper nodes. The top surfaces of the upper nodes may be at substantially the same height.
In other highly preferred embodiments, the packaging cushion may further include a plurality of lower nodes projecting downwardly from the ring elements at spaced-apart locations, the lower nodes having bottom surfaces disposed lower than the bottom surfaces of the ring elements. In accordance with these embodiments, the ring elements may be adapted to engage the sidewalls of the tray so that the bottom of the tray lies lower than the bottom surfaces of the ring elements and higher than the bottom surfaces of the lower nodes. The bottom surfaces of the lower nodes may be at substantially the same height.
Each of the upper nodes in these embodiments may be substantially aligned over a lower node to define a plurality of node pairs. For each node pair, the top surface of the upper node may be spaced from the bottom surface of the lower node by a separation distance, the separation distance for each node pair being about the same.
Another aspect of the present invention provides a cushion for holding at least one object. The cushion may include one or more ring elements extending generally in a horizontal plane and having top and bottom surfaces, the ring elements defining one or more openings. At least one web of material may be positioned in the openings to divide the openings into upper and lower pockets. A plurality of upper nodes may project upwardly from the ring elements at spaced-apart locations, and a plurality of lower nodes may project downwardly from the ring elements at spaced-apart locations. The,upper and lower nodes may be aligned with one another to define a plurality of node pairs. The top surface of the upper node in a node pair may be spaced from the bottom surface of the lower node in the node pair by a separation distance, which separation distance for each node pair preferably is about the same.
A further aspect of the present invention provides a packaging assembly. The packaging assembly may include a packaging cushion having any of the structural features described above, and at least one tray having a bottom, outwardly-sloping sidewalls and a top edge. The tray may be assembled in one of the openings in the packaging cushion with the interior side surfaces of the ring elements engaging the sidewalls of the tray to support the tray in a suspended position. Embodiments of the packaging assembly may include a plurality of trays having a bottom, outwardly-sloping sidewalls, a top edge and a flange projecting outwardly from the top edge. The trays may be assembled in cushions in which the ring elements disposed between adjacent openings are smaller in cross-sectional size than the remainder of the ring elements. The trays may be assembled in the openings in these cushions so that the flange of one tray overlaps with the flange of an adjacent tray.
Yet a further aspect of the present invention provides a packaging assembly for holding at least one article. The packaging assembly may include a cushion having one or more ring elements extending generally in a horizontal plane and having top and bottom surfaces, the ring elements defining one or more openings. At least one web of material may be positioned in the openings to divide the openings into upper and lower pockets. At least one object may be assembled in the upper pocket so that the object is supported at a position higher than the bottom surfaces of the ring elements.
In preferred embodiments hereof, a plurality of apertures or a plurality of slits may be formed in the web of material. In highly preferred embodiments, the packaging assembly may further include at least one slit dividing the web of material into first and second portions, and the at least one object may be supported in the upper pocket between these first and second portions.
A still further aspect of the present invention provides a shipping package. Embodiments of the shipping package may include a plurality of cushions, each cushion having upper and lower surfaces and one or more compartments. At least one object may be assembled in the compartments so that the object is supported at a position higher than the lower surface of the cushion in which it is assembled. The cushions may be arranged one on top of another to form a stack, and an outer container may be assembled around the stack to hold the stack in assembled relationship. Preferably, the compartments in each of the cushions in the stack confront corresponding compartments in an adjacent cushion to define packaging cells, whereby the object is assembled in the packaging cells.
In preferred embodiments of these shipping packages, the outer container may include a box or a securing material wrapped around the stack. A handle may be connected to the securing material. The securing material may include a film material wrapped around the sides of the stack, and preferably around the top and bottom ends of the stack as well. Preferred film materials are mono- or multi-layer thermoplastic polymer films having a high degree of puncture and abuse resistance. Preferably, such films are shrinkable to form a tight engagement around the stack. A stabilizing layer may be positioned between the uppermost and/or lowermost cushion in the stack and the securing material.
Other embodiments of the shipping package may include a plurality of cushions, each cushion including one or more ring elements extending generally in a horizontal plane and having top and bottom surfaces, the ring elements defining one or more compartments. At least one object is assembled in the compartments so that the object is supported at a position higher than the bottom surfaces of the ring elements. The cushions may be arranged one on top of another to form a stack, and an outer container may be assembled around the stack to hold the stack in assembled relationship. The compartments in each of the cushions may confront corresponding compartments in an adjacent cushion to define packaging cells, whereby the object is assembled in the packaging cells.
Preferred embodiments of these shipping packages may further include at least one web of material positioned in each of the compartments to divide the compartments into upper and lower pockets, wherein the object is supported in the upper pockets on the webs of material. The webs of material may include a plurality of apertures or slits formed therein. Additionally, each web of material may include at least one slit dividing the web into first and second portions, wherein the object may be supported in the upper pocket between the first and second portions of the web.
In a highly preferred embodiment hereof, the shipping package may include first and second webs of material positioned in each compartment to divide the compartment into upper and lower pockets, the first web of material confronting the second web of material to define a space therebetween. One of the first and second webs of material may include a slit providing access to the space, and the object may be assembled in the space.
Still another aspect of the present invention provides methods of packaging at least one tray having a bottom, outwardly-sloping sidewalls and a top edge. In accordance with these methods, a cushion as described above may be provided, and the tray may be positioned in one of the openings in the cushion to form an assembly in which the interior side surfaces of the ring elements engage the sidewalls of the tray to support the tray in a suspended position.
In embodiments in which the cushion is provided with a plurality of upper nodes projecting upwardly from the ring elements at spaced-apart locations, the positioning step may include the step of positioning the tray so that the top edge of the tray in the suspended position lies higher than the top surfaces of the ring elements and lower than the top surfaces of the upper nodes. In embodiments in which the cushion is provided with a plurality of lower nodes projecting downwardly from the ring elements at spaced-apart locations, the positioning step may include the step of positioning the tray so that the bottom of the tray in the suspended position lies lower than the bottom surfaces of the ring elements and higher than the bottom surfaces of the lower nodes.
Preferred methods may further include the step of at least partially surrounding the assembly with an outer container to hold the tray and the cushion in assembled relationship. The surrounding step may include the step of wrapping a film material around the assembly. Highly preferred methods may further include the step of connecting at least one handle to the film material.
A still further aspect of the present invention provides methods of packaging objects. In accordance with these methods, a plurality of cushions may be provided, each cushion having upper and lower surfaces and one or more compartments. The objects may be assembled in the compartments so that the objects are supported at positions higher than the lower surfaces of the cushion in which they are assembled. The cushions may be arranged one on top of another to form a stack, and the stack may be at least partially surrounded with an outer container to hold the stack in assembled relationship. In a preferred arrangement, the cushions may be arranged so that the compartments in each of the cushions confront corresponding compartments in adjacent cushions to define packaging cells, and the object may be assembled in the packaging cells.
In preferred methods in accordance with this aspect of the invention, the cushions may be provided with a plurality of upper nodes projecting upwardly from the upper surfaces of the cushions at spaced-apart locations, and a plurality of lower nodes projecting downwardly from the lower surfaces of the cushions at spaced-apart locations. In each cushion, the upper nodes may be substantially aligned over corresponding lower nodes to define a plurality of node pairs. The cushions may be arranged so that the node pairs in each cushion are substantially aligned with corresponding node pairs in adjacent cushions.
In highly preferred methods, the surrounding step may include the step of wrapping a film material, preferably a mono- or multi-layer thermoplastic polymer film, around the stack. In addition, a stabilizing layer may be positioned between the uppermost and/or lowermost cushion in the stack and the film material. These methods may also include the step of connecting at least one handle to the film material.